In my creative writing class we studied poetry a month or so ago. I wrote this poem for my class and posted it on here. I remember thinking at the time that it felt so unfinished that I was weary to “publish” it on my blog. Everything just feels so permanent once it’s on here. We had to do revisions for our final portfolio and I knew that this poem was just begging to become something completely different. The revision is done and I’m pleased with what it has become. I feel much less weary to post it because I feel like it deserves to be permanent now. 🙂
But anyway, I like the idea behind this poem. The fact that you can start out with this blank piece of paper that has a million possibilities and can become anything. However, in the end, memories can never really leave the moment they were created in. Therefore, the poem ends with “No words.” I also like that the middle of the poem has so many references to water, the enemy of paper. I like that juxtaposition. My favorite parts are stanzas 5, 6, & 7. 🙂
Ripples
White scrap paper.
Black ink.
Memorializing
letters, words and phrases.
Road rushes beneath us
into a smooth
river of gravel.
Continuing for as far as we can see.
The bridge runs
directly over the water.
So close,
yet never touching banks.
Faint horizontal line
far in the distance.
Does the dark evening sky
ever lean down and touch the cool water?
We row out
to where the stars are.
Fluid motions
bobbing in sync.
I hold my hand out
over the water,
slowly drawing your picture
and watching it ripple away.
Some things
aren’t meant to last
longer than
just a moment.
Not smooth.
No longer white.
Only shiny black smudges.
No words.
